Human Genomic Epidemiology - Asia (Virtual)

In collaboration with the University of Hong Kong and Monash University Malaysia, we are pleased to announce the Human Genomic Epidemiology in Asian Populations course.

Advances in genomics have led to exciting new insights on the causes and mechanisms of common human diseases and traits, paving the way for the development of precision medicine. Most large-scale human genomic studies have been conducted on populations of predominantly European origin, and there is an urgent need for more research in populations with non-European ancestry, so that everyone can reap the potential benefits of genomic medicine. However, there are significant ethical and technical challenges for human genomic research in Asia, such as the large number of diverse populations with varying levels of literacy, high level of population genetic diversity, admixture and consanguinity in many countries, and small sample sizes. Meeting these challenges will require the capability to use sophisticated methods for analysing and interpreting genomic data, which creates an urgent need for training and continuous updating of skills. Despite these challenges there have been some notable successes addressing genomics of complex diseases and traits in some Asian countries, like China, Japan and Singapore.Providing genomic researchers on the Asian continent with resources and tools to expand capacity for analysing big genome and phenotype data will bridge the skills gap and enable locally tailored opportunities for genomics in health research.

Course overview

This virtual course will provide participants with ‘hands-on’ practical exercises on the design, data processing, analysis and interpretation of results aimed at understanding the genetic architecture of complex human traits and diseases. Using Asian datasets, participants will learn how to apply statistical and computational approaches for candidate gene and genome-wide association studies and their meta-analyses. Ethical and legal implications in human genomics data collection and sharing will also be discussed. Participants will have an opportunity to establish links and networks and develop future collaborative projects.

Course website

Instructors

Pak Sham, University of Hong Kong
Clara Tang, University of Hong Kong
Qasim Ayub, Monash University Malaysia

Hon-Cheong So, University of Hong Kong
Miaoxin Li, University of Hong Kong
Konstantinos Hatzikotoulas, Helmholtz Zentrum München
Maude E. Phipps, Monash University, Malaysia
Gavin Yee, Monash University, Malaysia
Sathiya Maran, Monash University, Malaysia
Eva Maria Cutiongco-De La Paz, Philippines Genome Centre
Segun Fatumo, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Ananyo Choudhury, Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of the Witwatersrand
Dhriti Sengupta, Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of the Witwatersrand
Tinashe Chikowore, Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of the Witwatersrand